SCROOGE , PINK PANTHER AND CO.

Here are some photos of my haul from a toy fair [a couple of years ago] in Auckland.

First up, a look at the die-casts.

The model of Uncle Scrooge's Car is by the Italian company Politoys. A little bit of damage - it is missing both rear view mirrors, and the hood ornament which is a dollar sign.

Uncle Scrooge is sitting in the back seat, with his chauffeur at the wheel. Paperon de Paperoni is the Italian name for Scrooge McDuck.

The Pink Panther car is by Dinky Toys, model number 354. The box is a modern reproduction, not an original. Very pink.

Various die-casts: the large bus is a Corgi, and has Corgi advertising on the sides. The large truck and the small trolley bus are Matchbox. The Studebaker Wagonaire camera car is by Husky (made by Corgi). The red Royal Mail van and the green Post Office Telephones truck are by either Morestone or Budgie (same models, just different names).

See anything you like?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

AUCKLAND TOY FAIR NOVEMBER 2024: THE KITS

The last Auckland toy fair of 2024 was held recently, and here is my report on the kits. Not too many vintage models this time, but I did get some more modern kits that I intend to build.

Hobby Boss kits are fairly simple, with a one-piece wing, and one-piece fuselage, along with various detail parts, and some really interesting decal options. The Dragon Ta-152H and Airfix Hurricane are more normal kits.

The vintage kits were an Airfix Fokker Friendship airliner in Irish Aer Lingus markings, but unfortunately the box is damaged at one end. Along with four railway wagon kits in 1960s boxes – a Brake Van, two Cattle Wagons, and a Refrigerator Van.

The William Brothers kit of the Martin B-10 bomber from the 1930s. The Airfix Beachead Playset contains a Gun Emplacement from the Playfort range, and two sets of soft plastic figures – the original version of the WW2 German Infantry, and the British Paratroopers.

Plus one HO scale model railway building by Tyco. I have already started work on the Hobby Boss FW-190D-9.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

November Auckland Toy Fair 2024

The last Auckland fair of 2024 yielded several interesting small scale die-casts by various makers, and a couple of larger scale Lledo Vanguards. Just one Hot Wheels this time.

Matchbox tractor and trailer set in orange, white MGA, blue pick-up truck, and Autotanker, from the 1950s or 1960s. The Husky Citroen Ambulance, and Corgi Juniors Super Stock Car with the Union Flag, and US Racing Buggy in blue.

The black Wolseley 6/80 Police Car and the green Rover 105 are by either Morestone or Budgie. The Covered Wagon and six-horse team remain unidentified, but the seller thought they might be Japanese.

The Schuco Mercedes Bus has a die-cast body, clear plastic top, and printed tin-plate interior. A cracking little model.

Next up, a selection of six all-plastic trucks in N scale, for model railways. Individually boxed, the length varies from 61mm for the tankers, to 75mm for the cargo trucks.

Finally, a group of seven British tea card albums. We just did not get these in NZ, cards only came in breakfast cereals, and Greggs Jellies.

History of the Motor Car, Flags & Emblems of the World, British Costume, British Wildlife, Wild Flowers, Trees in Britain, all by Brooke Bond; and Australia, by Lyons Tea.

These are nearly full, although the glue has dried out, and a few of the cards have come loose. How lucky you were to have these wonderful sets in Britain.

I know these card albums may be a common sight in Britain, but not in NZ. They are just beautiful. I wish I had been able to collect these back in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Plus some Linka building moulds, which deserve a write-up of their own.

Enjoy.

Paul Adams from New Zealand.

Paul's Awesome Auckland Haul

Auckland had its latest fair for model and kit collectors in September 2024, and I filled up two bags with goodies. More detailed reports will follow, but here is a quick look at the kits and die-casts.

My first buy was a book on NZ Cereal Toys, which I missed when it came out nearly 20 years ago. Also a set of Airfix Betta Bilda building bricks, made in NZ by Lincoln Industries.

The Revell Flying Bridge Cruiser is a New Zealand issue by Lincoln Industries. Airfix HMS Devonshire in a 1970s box.

Revell USS Abraham Lincoln SSBN submarine with interior detail. Originally released as the USS George Washington in 1959, this 2008 version is by Revell Germany, and is a Limited Edition re-issue of 5000.

Revell B-24 with a copyright date of 1960 on the box side, and a 1950s Monogram Catalina amphibian – this kit is still available from Atlantis. A pair of Mister Craft Hawker Hunter kits.

Polish TS-11 jet trainer in a very basic box, a Monogram P-40N Warhawk in a 1970s White Box, and a Heller PZL P-23 dive bomber. The Brengun Spitfire Vb depicts an aircraft captured by the Germans, and fitted with a Daimler-Benz engine for tests.

There were also some small scale armour kits in 1/72nd and 1/76th scale, mostly without boxes, by ESCI and Fujimi, and a box of small Airfix Sheriff of Nottingham figures.

A modern Matchbox Harry Potter Ford Anglia die-cast car, from the Moving Parts series, with opening doors. A pair of Matchbox Indiana Jones Tuk-Tuk models – one in a box, and one on a card.

From the film Batman Returns, The Penguin’s Duck Vehicle, by Ertl. Five Corgi Juniors from the 1970s, including a couple of superhero models.

A Yorkshire Tea van from Lledo. My only vintage model this time was a 1950s Matchbox Vauxhall Cresta, the early version, in red and cream.

OK, I now have two months to save up for the next fair, in November, which is the last one of the year!

See anything you like?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

AURORA, MEGO AND CO: ARTO'S FANTASTIC JUTHBACKA FINDS

Arto has been kind enough to share pictures of his recent and amazing haul of vintage goodies at the Juthbacka vintage fair on the western coast of Finland.  The Juthbacka fair attracts sellers from Sweden too. 

A super post to end the summer, Feast your eyes!

*

Aurora long box monster kits and Mego monsters, Super Heroes, Star Trek/ Space 1999

Assorted Super Heroes: Batcopter, Secret Wars, Super Powers and an Italian Diabolik figure, a candy box top!

Micronauts, Choc Rockets and Car [I have cropped this image and removed an amazing item that, with Arto's permission, will feature on the blog's anniversary  - our 16th bloggiversary - on September 15th. Watch this space!]

PAUL'S AUCKLAND TOY FAIR JULY 2024

Auckland has just had its second fair of the year for collectors of kits, die-casts, and model railways. There were fewer tables than usual, but I still got a great haul, mainly kits.

Most of the kits on offer were aircraft, large scale armour, and a few cars. One table had some 1/25th scale Jo-Han car kits, but at $50 NZ each, I passed on those.

All the aircraft are my usual 1/72nd scale, unless noted otherwise. One bagged Airfix kit, a DHC-1 Chipmunk.

A pair of French Heller kits - the Bell P-39Q/N Airacobra in a first issue box, 1977 according to Scalemates. A Saab J29 jet, in a non-original bag, with a picture that had obviously been cut from a box.

A Fujimi SA-341G Gazelle helicopter, which seems to be 1/100th scale. The back of the box has a helicopter landing area printed on it.

Several WW2 Japanese aircraft - a Fujimi Tachikawa Ki-55 Ida monoplane trainer; LS Japanese Navy Type 93 Willow biplane trainer moulded in a very bright orange; Revell (G.B.) Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko night fighter; and finally a Hasegawa A6M2-N Rufe Seaplane fighter, with beaching trolley.

Two early Hasegawa kits in 1960s boxes, the F-86F Sabre and the T-38A Talon. The logo says Hasegawa Ship & Airplane Models.

Humbrol Harrier TM4 (I assume they mean T. Mark 4 ?) two-seat trainer. Only 15 parts, but one of the lower wing panels is missing, although there are a lot of extra weapon parts, and bits that appear to be from another Harrier kit, in the box.

Union Pan Am's 747 Jumbo Jet in 1/288th scale. This was also done as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with the Space Shuttle on its back.

Walters Cornerstone Series HO Scale (1/87th) low-relief Background Building. This can be assembled as two smaller buildings, or as one large building - ideal as a backdrop for model photography.

One seller had a bundle of Airfix steam locomotive kits for $40 NZ. Some had been started, but there were extra bits in some of the boxes from another couple of locomotives (not sure if these are complete or not).

All are OO (1/76th), and were originally Kitmaster models that Airfix bought in the 1960s. The models are still made by Dapol.

All the boxes are from the Red Stripe era of the 1960s to early 1970s. The Prairie Tank locomotive has the price 14/11 ($1.49) written on it, and as NZ changed to decimal currency in July 1967, that helps to date the kit.

The three Airfix wagon boxes were inside the larger locomotive boxes, and all contained only locomotive parts. But they are great examples of Airfix box art, and are to be treasured.

Prairie Tank 2-6-2, un-built; B.R. Mogul 2-6-0 with tender, largely built; Harrow 4-4-0 with tender, Schools Class, largely built; Biggin Hill 4-6-2 with tender, Battle of Britain Class, largely built.

Now on to the die-casts, rather a small group this time.

A metal De Witt Clinton locomotive and three carriages - the whole train is only about 4 1/2 inches long. Only $6 NZ.

A couple of Matchbox cars - the Ford Galaxie Police Car, and the Austin A55 Cambridge saloon. A boxed Lledo Days Gone Vanguards 1955 VW Combi Van, in yellow, with Bosch Auto Electrical on the sides.

A Dinky Toys 101 Thunderbird 2, in blue. Some paint loss, and missing its small yellow plastic Thunderbird 4.

This came with a box, but on close inspection it seems to be a reproduction. Areas that show damage are still smooth and glossy, rather than rough.

A small box of railway souvenir items, including a gold-coloured San Francisco cable car, encased in a block of clear plastic. Possibly a paperweight.

Some of these items are worth further write-ups. I now have two months to save up for the next fair.

What do you think?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Paul's Aurora Prehistoric Scenes

The most recent Auckland model fair proved an amazing day out, and included several vintage kits. Among them four of the Aurora Prehistoric Scenes snap-together kits from the early 1970s.

This series included dinosaurs, mammals, and early humans, and all were made to 1/13th scale, the same as the infamous Monster Scenes kits. All included diorama bases, and a choice of limbs.

The bases were designed to fit together like a giant jig-saw puzzle. One of the box sides showed two glimpses of a Prehistoric world, each made up of several Aurora Scenes.

The four kits I found had all been put together, and partially painted. All were missing a few minor parts, such as the name-plates for the bases, but the figures themselves were complete.

The loose parts for all four models had been placed in to two boxes. According to the Thomas Graham book on Aurora, all four of these kits appeared in 1972, and remained available until 1976.

Of these four, only the Saber Tooth Tiger (that is the spelling Aurora used) has been re-issued, by Atlantis in 2024. The three human kits have not been available since the 1970s.

These are the first actual Aurora kits I have ever owned. The fact that they had already been made up and painted, means that I can re-store and re-paint them without destroying a pristine 1970s kit.

First up, a closer look at the beautiful Aurora box art. All my kits and boxes carry 1971 copyright dates, and the box tops say Printed in Canada, Made in U.S.A.

The boxes I have are for the Cro-Magnon Man and the Saber Tooth Tiger, but I found some photographs of the Neanderthal Man and Cro-Magnon Woman on Worthpoint to complete the line-up. I was also missing the instruction sheets, but managed to find images on-line, so I know what parts go with what kit.

729 Neanderthal Man - there were two versions of the box, with the early one including the head of a dinosaur - Mr Neanderthal is throwing a big rock at it. There were two sets of arms and legs, and an assortment of weapons and accessories.

730 Cro-Magnon Man - again there were two full sets of arms and legs.

731 Cro-Magnon Woman - two full sets of arms and legs, and a strange two-headed snake. She is very modern looking, and could easily be painted up as a second Victim to go with the Monster Scenes.

733 Saber Tooth Tiger - two full sets of legs, in different poses. There were two different boxes - with or without the snake, with the second version also having an extra base section.

Nine photographs, including two from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Das Train and Toy Fair

 After whizzing round a morning car boot, ee visited an Eisenbahn und Spielzeugboerse today, a train and toy fair in the local Vestlandhalle.

It was 5 Euro admission and 90% trains and the rest die-casts.

Here's the sort of thing that was on offer (individual toy pics from the net)

Lots and lots of old boxes Maerklin trains

Including huge XXL train sets

A gorgeous Ichiko Oldsmobile Police car at 35 Euro.

It was a large spacious hall.

With Faller plastic biuldings

Between the boot sale and the toy fair I netted this meagre but interest pile for 6 Euro.

Two Speed Kings, two knockoff wrestlers, two Hot Wheels and a strange orange car.

The orange was my favourite item. It says No Mobile and Ideal 1977. It has inertia drive too. A gorgeous plastic thing but it remains a mystery.

Auckland Hobbies Fair 2024 Report

Auckland, NZ,  has just had its first Hobbies Fair for 2024, and I got some really nice models. Not much in the way of die-casts this time, but some really fabulous kits.

Unusually, there were some space kits - Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Star Wars. The Gerry Anderson kits looked to be expensive, from over a hundred dollars, up to $250.

There was even a Lincoln Thunderbird 1 empty box for $20 on one table. It went.

I was able to find both the carded and boxed versions of the Matchbox Indiana Jones car. I missed out on those in the shops, so I snapped them both up, although they were expensive for such recent models.

A couple of model trucks, and a 1970s Corgi Juniors four-car garage. Plus a book on Plastic Toy Cars of the 1950s and 1960s, and one of the small Profile booklets on Merlin-engined Seafires.

A number of aircraft kits, and one civilian truck. Some of the planes were Made in New Zealand by various companies, or had some other NZ connection.

The Lincoln International DC-3 kit was a good find, and is my first Lincoln kit (other than an Air New Zealand DC-8 which might have been a Lincoln model). Made in Hong Kong on the box top, and Made in the British Empire on the side of the box.

The old Airfix Spitfire Mk.IX was a bagged kit, although not in its original bag. But the paper header was still with it.

At a table of mostly Hot Wheels and various toys, I noticed two boxes sitting on the window sill behind the table. Aurora Prehistoric Scenes boxes, which I have never seen in the flesh before.

They were the Sabre Tooth Tiger (which has just been re-issued by Atlantis) and the Cro-Magnon Man. Both had been assembled, and partly painted, but there seemed to be extra parts in the boxes.

I took a chance and got them. Both boxes are Canadian rather than US, and are dated 1971.

There were four bases, and parts for the Saber Tooth and three prehistoric humans. No instructions.

I eventually found, and printed out, the instruction sheets, so I could check the parts. All four kits are nearly complete, and all are buildable.

These are snap-together kits, and none of the models have been cemented together. All have a full set of alternative limbs, so you can vary the poses.

The Tiger is moulded in orange plastic, and the humans in a flesh tone. That would reduce the painting needed.

Cro-Magnon Man - just missing his spear, and name plate for the base.

Cro-Magnon Woman - missing the bizarre two-headed snake that is menacing her, and the name plate.

Neanderthal Man - Missing a stone knife, a two-piece length of fallen log, and a rabbit and a duck tied together which was intended to go over his shoulder, and the name plate.

Saber Tooth Tiger - complete except for the name plate.

My last purchase of the day was hidden at the bottom of a large plastic bin, under a table. A 1960s Renwal Visible Horse kit. See the top of the post for pics.

This seems complete except for the stand, and the Handbook on horse anatomy. The box is 18 inches by 17 inches, and three inches deep.

The horse stands 14 inches high. The box top painting is full-size for the model.

The box sides are in poor shape, and held together with brown parcel tape, but the box top is still in good condition. This is a kit I truly thought I would never see, it is just not the sort of thing that turns up in NZ.

I also got a boxed game called Creepy Critters, which I always wanted, but never had. Made by Lincoln Industries.

You have to assemble an alien looking creature, after rolling a die to obtain the different parts. It was originally made in the US, where it was called Cootie.

It was an amazing day, and I almost totally emptied my wallet. I will write up some of these items in more detail later, but for now, here

 is a look at my treasures.

Paul Adams from New Zealand